Advances in electronic communications technologies have interconnected people and allowed for distribution of information perhaps better than ever before. One popular form of communication is electronic mail messaging commonly known as “e-mail.”
Unfortunately for users and operators of e-mail systems, e-mail has become an advertising tool widely used for mass distribution of unsolicited and unwanted e-mail messages, which are commonly referred to as “SPAM.” It is a challenge for users and operators of e-mail systems to effectively deal with SPAM without inadvertently affecting legitimate e-mail messages. To this end, SPAM filters have been designed. To some extent SPAM filters help prevent SPAM from reaching users, but conventional SPAM filters are fraught with problems. For example, a typical SPAM filter relies on tools for scanning the contents of incoming e-mail messages. However, the scanning of content invades privacy and requires significant computing resources. In addition, senders of SPAM have become adept at quickly working around conventional SPAM filters. Consequently, operators of e-mail systems typically invest significant resources in what has become a continual battle against SPAM and senders of SPAM.
Once a user's e-mail address is exposed to unscrupulous senders of SPAM, it is extremely difficult, if not impossible, for the user to stop the barrage of SPAM that typically follows. In some cases, the SPAM may become overwhelming and force a user to spend significant time dealing with the SPAM (e.g., manually deleting the SPAM) or to relinquish the user's e-mail address in order to avoid the SPAM. However, relinquishing an e-mail address is not trivial and typically includes setting up and notifying personal contacts of a new e-mail address. Even after taking these steps, the user may inadvertently miss legitimate e-mail messages sent to the old e-mail address, or be forced to continue to check the old e-mail address for such messages.